suffocate
verb (used with object)
to kill by preventing the access of air to the blood through the lungs or analogous organs, as gills; strangle.
suffocated
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past participleof suffocate.past participle
A verb form used in perfect and passive verb constructions and that can also function as a modifier.
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past tense formof suffocate.past tense
Used to describe completed actions or previous habitual actions.
suffocateverb (used with object)to kill by preventing the access of air to the blood through the lungs or analogous organs, as gills; strangle.
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Rodri: Outstanding performance by the Spain captain as France were suffocated and La Roja's midfield dominated their opponents from start to finish.
From BBC ● Jul. 14, 2026
"It speaks about inner fears, self-doubt, and the feeling of being emotionally suffocated by our own expectations. It was never intended to represent anything sexual."
From BBC ● May 8, 2026
India has also received three shipments of crude oil from Iran, according to a local Iranian diplomatic mission—the first such transfers in years after sanctions suffocated trade between the two countries.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 22, 2026
"Around 9 pm, I was feeling suffocated and nostalgic, so I got in the car to drive around town," a 28-year-old woman told AFP on Monday on condition that her identity be protected.
From Barron's ● Apr. 1, 2026
He felt suffocated in that cell, let out only to exercise and to eat, food that brought to mind a bowl of boiled worms.
From "Americanah" by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
